Rumpelstiltskin's Depression
by Skrivkramp
Summary: What if Rumpelstiltskin had chosen to forget being Rumpelstiltskin in season two? The TV show hinted about it, making a big deal about Rumpelstiltskin wearing his magical cloth as protection from the curse. I, for one, was just waiting for him to loose it and have his memories removed - but the plot point was never used. Therefore I've rewritten it. Enjoy!


After his love Belle lost her memory and his son refuses to make up between them Rumpelstiltskin felt that nothing was worth anything anymore. His son Baelfire was standing right in front of him and he didn't even want to listen to him. When the son went out to talk to Henry on the fire steps, Rumpelstiltskin was left alone with Emma his heart and mind was completely crushed. Everything he's done had all been for nothing.

"I can't take it", Emma heard Rumpelstiltskin whisper to himself and she looked up right on time to see him take of his scarf. The precious piece of fabric fell to the floor as she saw Rumpelstiltskin shiver as the protective magic left him.

"What are you doing? Are you insane?!", Emma exclaimed as she threw herself after the magic fabric.

"Please don't", Rumpelstiltskin pleaded, and Emma hesitated. "Everything I love is gone... Just let me take the easy road... for once." He shrugged one last time and was about to collapse but saved himself with his cane.

"What's happening, Mom?", Henry asked as he and Baelfire looked in.

Emma, who still was on the floor holding the scarf in her hand, looked up frightened. "He discarded his memory", she breathed.

Rumpelstiltskin was breathing heavily as he shook his head and looked around the room. The confusion was written all over his face. "Where am I?", he asked and then noticed the young boy. "Henry? Who are these people?"

"What have you done?!", Henry gasped. "Just when you found your son!"

"Henry, don't...", Emma interrupted as she stood up again.

"My son? What are you talking about? I never had a son", answered he and pure shock was written all over Baelfires face. "Now tell me, where am I?"

The three of them looked at each other with panic and then turned towards Rumpelstiltskin who didn't even remember that he was Rumpelstiltskin anymore.

* * *

Henry sat down with Mr. Gold inside the apartment and explained where and why Mr. Gold was there. A lie the three of them had made up quickly.

Outside on the fire steps Baelfire and Emma discussed the problem. Emma leaned back against the wall. Baelfire seemed to still be in shock.

"Do you really think he lost his memory?", Baelfire asked.

"Yeah, he was without this for too long", she explained and held up the scarf. "It was protecting him from the curse, without it he forgets, well, everything."

Baelfire took the scarf and sighed. "This was once mine... He kept it all this time." He looked in through the window with hurt eyes.

"And now he doesn't remember that at all", Emma said and crossed her arms.

"This is my fault. If I hadn't been so stubborn. I can't believe he did it just because of me..."

"I don't believe it was just you", Emma interrupted and then explained further as Baelfire gave her a mad look. "You are not the first person he lost recently."

Baelfire laughed shortly and without joy. "If you haven't noticed, my father is the Dark One. He cannot love other people."

"Well, he had a girlfriend until recently. When he lost her, he went to find you and when you rejected him, he... I guess he took the easy way to escape the pain."

Before Baelfire could reply he was interrupted by Henry who stuck out his head.

"Mom, we most return to Storybrooke. There's magic there maybe there's a way to make him remember."

"Henry's right. We must take him back.", Emma agreed.

* * *

Emma and Mr. Gold stood downstairs and waited for Henry and Baelfire to come down.

"So, you're the sheriff, miss Swan?", Mr. Gold asked. "What happened to Mr Humbert?"

Emma gave him a mad look. "He died."

"Sorry to hear that", said Mr. Gold with no compassion at all in his voice. "And sorry that I don't seem to remember about such details."

Before Emma could reply they were attacked by no one less than Captain Hook. Mr. Gold fell back against the wall and just the second after, before Emma could react, Hooks hook stabbed Mr. Gold in the chest.

Emma hit the captain in the head and the pirate fell unconscious on the floor.

"Emma?! What's going on?!", shouted Baelfire and Henry as they ran down the stairs.

"One of your dad's enemies." Emma shared a mad look with the others and then turned to Mr. Gold who grabbed his chest in agony.

Baelfire ran up to his father and ripped up his shirt to examine the wound. "It's not deep..."

"But it still deadly, his hook was poisoned. I can feel it", breathed Mr. Gold as Baelfire pushed a piece of fabric to stop the bleeding.

"We need to get him back", Henry breathed.

"To Storybrooke? Are you mad? He needs a doctor.", protested Baelfire.

"Hook is not from around here. The only way to find an antidote is to go to Storybrooke.", Henry insisted.

Baelfire seemed to think for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, but we will take the ship..."

* * *

"You alright?", asked Emma as she walked into the ship's cabin. Mr. Gold sat on the bed holding a piece of fabric to the wound while the agony coated him in sweat.

"What do you think? I got poison in my veins and a crazy pirate is after me", said he sarcastically. "At least it cannot become worse."

"I'm afraid I have to disappoint you. Two more people wants you dead."

"Who?"

She hesitated. "Regina and her mother Cora."

He sighted and rolled his eyes. "Matters just gotten worse."

"Sorry but you don't remember anything? At all?", asked Emma.

"Unfortunately, not. If I would, then I wouldn't question of being transported in an invisible ship, now would I?"

"I know the feeling. At first I didn't believe that anything like that existed too."

"Then what made you realize that it did?"

"Henry."

"Right, you're his real mother." He bit his lip as the wound ached. "As the young man is his father."

"You don't remember Baelfire?"

He sighed as he shook his head. "Why do you care? I don't even know you."

"But I know you, and I will save you."

* * *

Snow White and Charming met them as they left the harbour. Baelfire and Emma led Mr. Gold.

"Are you alright?", Snow White asked as they came up to them.

"Well, still alive.", Emma unhappily said.

"Do you think they have used the knife yet?", Henry asked.

"I don't know, but I think that we would've noticed it by now", Baelfire said as he helped Mr. Gold to move forward.

"Who are you?", Charming asked.

"I'm Henrys father", Baelfire explained and Charming nodded in understanding.

"Where are we going?", Snow White asked.

"To Golds shop. If there's something that can help him then it should be there.", Emma said.

* * *

Later they all were in Mr. Golds shop. Snow White put a blanket over the poisoned man while the others searched the shop after something that looked like an antidote.

"Regina and Cora will surely be here any minute. We have to prepare for battle.", Charming suddenly said. "After we defeated them, we can save him."

"Which preparations do you mean? Put a magic ward over the place?", Emma asked sarcastically.

"Yeah. You could use magic before. You could do it again.", Charming said as if it were a brilliant idea.

"And how would that work if I might ask? The only one of us that knows how to use magic have lost his memories."

"Sorry to hear that", muttered Mr. Gold from the couch. "Even thought that I lost my memories I still know everything about what's in my shop."

The all looked at each other and then they then turned to Mr. Gold.

"Then if we wanted to put up a protection ward. What would you recommend?", Charming asked highly sceptical.

"Get that box over there", said Mr. Gold and signed with his head.

"It's empty", commented Emma as she picked it up. But when she shook it she heard something scramble in the box. The next moment she picked up an invisible object.

"I get the feeling that whatever that is will protect us. With some help of you, Emma", Mr. Gold explained.

"What?"

"Magic."

"How can you know when you don't remember?", Snow White asked.

"Every object I own have a story, miss Magret. In this moment I trust those to be true."

Emma ran out to the shop with the pen and the two men after her to figure out how to use the magical item.

"Could you catch me another blanket, miss Magret?", Mr. Gold asked before Snow White could follow.

"Where do you have one?", Snow White asked.

"Search", he complained as he gasped his chest when the wound hurt.

Snow White searched the room briefly and found the forbidden candle in a closet.

"Why do you have this?", she asked as she picked it up.

Mr. Gold shrugged. "For a rainy day, miss Marget. Now please, a blanket."

"This is the antidote we searched for", Snow White breathed.

"Pardon me?"

"Light the candle over the victim's heart and that one will die for another to live."

"Sound tempting in my position, but, tell me who would be willing to die for me?"

"Cora.", breathed Snow White.

"That heartless woman won't let you near her with that in mind."

Snow White stopped as he thought about words. And then the reality struck her. Of course, Core was heartless - she could not have her heart. The queen would be the one possessing it.

She then left without a word.

* * *

"She will break through", Emma assumed as they hid in the back room.

"Seems you magic is not strong enough", Mr. Gold laughed unhappily.

"Excuse me but why doesn't the word magic feel alien for you if you don't remember?", asked Emma.

"You could thank that little son of yours. He told me everything."

"So, you know who you really are?", Baelfire asked and added. "You know who I am?" His voice was thin.

"Rumpelstiltskin, right?", said Mr. Gold. "And, apparently, you're my son I lost long ago, Baelfire."

They all went quite for some moments and after he gasped in pain he turned to Emma. "Miss Swan, I need to talk to Belle..."

Emma hesitated and then picked up her phone from her pocket and gave it to the poisoned man.

"Who is Belle?", asked Baelfire.

"Your dad's girlfriend.", explained Emma.

Baelfire gave Emma a confused look as the two of them listened to the call.

A confused Belle was on the other side of the call. "Mr. Gold? I told you before...I don't remember you."

"I know, but the thing is, Belle. That I no longer remember you either, and...", he gasped in agony again and Belles voice became worried.

"You alright, Mr. Gold?"

"No, I'm not, dearie. Belle, I'm dying. But I just wanted to tell you that you don't have to feel any guilt for not remembering me, not just because that none of us do, but the fact that I've never been a loveable man to begin with. And therefore, I wanted to thank you. For being such a beautiful woman to love such an ugly man..." The second after he hung up. What he didn't know was that Belle was shouting his name on the other end - terrified of what she just heard.

"I didn't know you had that in you", commented Baelfire.

"Neither did I. I was just going to tell her about my memories but when I heard her voice... She seemed like a fine woman."

"She is", confirmed Emma. "It's a shame you chose to forget her."

"I still know the story, remember?", he said as he gave back the phone.

"Why didn't you tell us?", Baelfire asked.

"Just because I know doesn't mean that I remember. I thought that boy was crazy as he spilled the whole story, but it seems more likely to be true now." He sighed and then looked up at Baelfire. "Baelfire, that is a good name. I'm sorry, for forgetting. To have chosen to forget... everything." He grew weaker.

Baelfire sighed and then grabbed his father's hand. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"I can't remember", Mr. Gold breathed as he grew even weaker. "But I'm still...sorry."

* * *

Cora stepped over the floor with the dagger in her hand.

"I heard you lost your memories, Rumpel.", said she as she sat down beside him. "Was it Hooks fault?"

"I chose to forget, dearie.", Mr. Gold breathed. "I can't remember why now though, but I guess I'm less in pain now then what I would be if I could remember."

"What could've caused you such depression?"

"I rather not share."

"Well, doesn't matter. I will kill you now and make me the Dark One. Goodbye, my love."

As she raised the knife she gasped and dropped the knife. Behind her stood Regina with a complicated expression.

Mr. Gold felt at the same moment how he grew stronger and how the pain lessened and finally disappeared altogether. He could breath normally as he sat up. Like a reflex he picked up the knife Cora had dropped. In dark letters he saw the name "Rumpelstiltskin" written onto the blade.

"I really am the dark one...", he said quiet to himself and then looked up to find Regina on the floor with Cora in her arms.

Not a moment later, Snow White showed up with Charming and they all understood what had happened.

A few days later after the trouble with the queen's anger been dealt with. Protecting Snow White and so on. Mr. Gold stood and watched his son and his grandson fight with wooden swords.

Suddenly Regina appeared beside him. "What are you son doing with mine?"

"Oh, they didn't tell you? He's Henrys father."

"Wait, so you're Henrys grandfather?", she gasped. "You knew this didn't you?"

"If I knew or not, I don't know since I've lost my memories. When the fact that I have a son surprised me."

"So, it's true? You chose to forget", Regina said with a curious smile. "Can I ask you why you did it?"

"I would not share that information with you after the little stunt you and your mother pulled on me."

"Coldhearted as usual. And now when you don't remember your precious little lamb anymore there's no more hope for you."

"Pardon?"

"Right, you don't even remember her anymore. Good day, Mr. Gold."

With an evil smile she left him standing with an anger building up inside him.

* * *

Belle sits in her hospital room reading a book as Mr. Gold knocks on the door.

"Pardon the disruption."

"Mr. Gold? But I thought you..."

"Died? Yeah, so though I but I didn't."

"Okay, but then why are you here? Didn't you say you didn't remember me?"

"Oh, I don't, dearie. And that's one of the reasons I'm here, you see, I'm trying to remember. I though seeing you maybe... would trigger some memories."

"And did it?"

"No, unfortunately, it seems we're in the same boat you and I."

"You actually forgot about me? You're not just angry with me for destroying your cup last time?"

"What cup?"

"The cup you showed me and..."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"But it seemed important to you..."

"I must have forgotten that as well. Beg your pardon, but if it seemed important to me. Why would you destroy it?"

"Well, you kind of pushed it into my face and said it would make me remember if I looked it with... with magic. I freaked and threw it."

Mr. Gold gave it a moment of thought. "No, can't recall."

"God, I thought I had destroyed something important... now I feel stupid for feeling guilty about it."

"Oh, it probably was important. Believe me, I've forgotten more than just a cup."

"What do you mean?"

Mr. Gold didn't answer but smirked. "I heard from the staff that you are to be discharged. Tell me, do you have anywhere to go?"

"I haven't figured it all out yet... Why?"

"Well, seeing our life points' are pretty much the same I thought I could offer you a place to stay. Maybe, I don't know, we could help each other out?"

"I'd like that."

"Great, then..." Mr. Gold phone starts to ring, and he excuses himself out the room. When he returns Belle isn't there.


End file.
